Narrative:

Handed off from phl approach control to pne tower for the visual approach to runway 6. As I was handed off, I was told to enter right downwind for wry 6. I switched to tower frequency to report in. The frequency was very congested. The amount of chatter on the radio seemed excessive and I couldn't get a break to report in. As I was approximately midfield downwind, I saw a low wing sel aircraft climbing up and coming directly at me. I know it would have hit since the aircraft was solidly fixed in the windscreen and in 1 second it tripled in size. I rolled 90 degrees left to avoid impact. I rolled wings level and the aircraft was gone. I never observed any action taken by the other aircraft so I suspect it never saw me. Approximately 5 seconds later, the tower gave the departing aircraft a traffic call, but it never replied or acknowledged the call. I believe the call was directed to the other aircraft about me. I don't know if it was an aircraft which pne tower had cleared for departure or if it had permission to depart the pattern midfield counter downwind traffic, since I had just switched frequencys and didn't hear the aircraft cleared for takeoff. I suspect the tower controller didn't realize where I was because if she had been watching out the window she would have seen the event and not bothered with the traffic call post incident. Approximately at the time of the late traffic call, I was about at the point where I started to turn right base for runway 6. I feel several things contributed to this event: 1) aircraft departing pne departing the pattern midfield instead of flying runway heading on departure. The aircraft was also climbing and departing, which indicates it wasn't even at pattern altitude yet. 2) very chatty radio frequency at pne. If it were less congested I would have been able to report in much sooner. 3) tower clearing departing aircraft for takeoff without knowing where I was or even noting that I was in the pattern. I feel this could have been avoided if a few things happened. 1) it seemed fairly late that approach handed me off to tower, therefore, I didn't have much time to report in/listen to other traffic in the pattern. Switch over earlier. 2) perhaps I shouldn't have been cleared to enter downwind by approach. Maybe I should have been told to remain outside of class D airspace until cleared by tower. 3) in the future, I will keep approach on one radio and tower on the other and turn both radios up so I can monitor both frequencys. 4) the tower should be paying closer attention to arriving IFR traffic both outside the tower visually and on their BRITE scope. 5) tower should be faster on the radio and not talk so much or as long as they did. 6) in the event of a future occurrence, I will immediately say something to record it on the incident tape recording. I will also call tower on landing. A human factor which potentially contributed to tower complacency was the fact that it was a beautiful spring day. I suspect the other aircraft pilot had her head in the cockpit since had she not she would have reacted and attempted to avoid me or they would have commented on the radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PVT PLT HAS AN NMAC WITH A DEP NORAC GA ACFT ON A MID FIELD DEP TURN 1 MI E OF PNE, PA.

Narrative: HANDED OFF FROM PHL APCH CTL TO PNE TWR FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 6. AS I WAS HANDED OFF, I WAS TOLD TO ENTER R DOWNWIND FOR WRY 6. I SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ TO RPT IN. THE FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED. THE AMOUNT OF CHATTER ON THE RADIO SEEMED EXCESSIVE AND I COULDN'T GET A BREAK TO RPT IN. AS I WAS APPROX MIDFIELD DOWNWIND, I SAW A LOW WING SEL ACFT CLBING UP AND COMING DIRECTLY AT ME. I KNOW IT WOULD HAVE HIT SINCE THE ACFT WAS SOLIDLY FIXED IN THE WINDSCREEN AND IN 1 SECOND IT TRIPLED IN SIZE. I ROLLED 90 DEGS L TO AVOID IMPACT. I ROLLED WINGS LEVEL AND THE ACFT WAS GONE. I NEVER OBSERVED ANY ACTION TAKEN BY THE OTHER ACFT SO I SUSPECT IT NEVER SAW ME. APPROX 5 SECONDS LATER, THE TWR GAVE THE DEPARTING ACFT A TFC CALL, BUT IT NEVER REPLIED OR ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL. I BELIEVE THE CALL WAS DIRECTED TO THE OTHER ACFT ABOUT ME. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS AN ACFT WHICH PNE TWR HAD CLRED FOR DEP OR IF IT HAD PERMISSION TO DEPART THE PATTERN MIDFIELD COUNTER DOWNWIND TFC, SINCE I HAD JUST SWITCHED FREQS AND DIDN'T HEAR THE ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF. I SUSPECT THE TWR CTLR DIDN'T REALIZE WHERE I WAS BECAUSE IF SHE HAD BEEN WATCHING OUT THE WINDOW SHE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE EVENT AND NOT BOTHERED WITH THE TFC CALL POST INCIDENT. APPROX AT THE TIME OF THE LATE TFC CALL, I WAS ABOUT AT THE POINT WHERE I STARTED TO TURN R BASE FOR RWY 6. I FEEL SEVERAL THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT: 1) ACFT DEPARTING PNE DEPARTING THE PATTERN MIDFIELD INSTEAD OF FLYING RWY HDG ON DEP. THE ACFT WAS ALSO CLBING AND DEPARTING, WHICH INDICATES IT WASN'T EVEN AT PATTERN ALT YET. 2) VERY CHATTY RADIO FREQ AT PNE. IF IT WERE LESS CONGESTED I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RPT IN MUCH SOONER. 3) TWR CLRING DEPARTING ACFT FOR TKOF WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE I WAS OR EVEN NOTING THAT I WAS IN THE PATTERN. I FEEL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF A FEW THINGS HAPPENED. 1) IT SEEMED FAIRLY LATE THAT APCH HANDED ME OFF TO TWR, THEREFORE, I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO RPT IN/LISTEN TO OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN. SWITCH OVER EARLIER. 2) PERHAPS I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN CLRED TO ENTER DOWNWIND BY APCH. MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REMAIN OUTSIDE OF CLASS D AIRSPACE UNTIL CLRED BY TWR. 3) IN THE FUTURE, I WILL KEEP APCH ON ONE RADIO AND TWR ON THE OTHER AND TURN BOTH RADIOS UP SO I CAN MONITOR BOTH FREQS. 4) THE TWR SHOULD BE PAYING CLOSER ATTN TO ARRIVING IFR TFC BOTH OUTSIDE THE TWR VISUALLY AND ON THEIR BRITE SCOPE. 5) TWR SHOULD BE FASTER ON THE RADIO AND NOT TALK SO MUCH OR AS LONG AS THEY DID. 6) IN THE EVENT OF A FUTURE OCCURRENCE, I WILL IMMEDIATELY SAY SOMETHING TO RECORD IT ON THE INCIDENT TAPE RECORDING. I WILL ALSO CALL TWR ON LNDG. A HUMAN FACTOR WHICH POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTED TO TWR COMPLACENCY WAS THE FACT THAT IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY. I SUSPECT THE OTHER ACFT PLT HAD HER HEAD IN THE COCKPIT SINCE HAD SHE NOT SHE WOULD HAVE REACTED AND ATTEMPTED TO AVOID ME OR THEY WOULD HAVE COMMENTED ON THE RADIO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.